Hide and Seek
by alibradragon
Summary: Aeryn Celia, photographer and artist loves what she does. However, she isn't sure what to make of her love life when she crosses paths with one Jeff Hardy. Jeff x OC ; full summary inside! R Chapters 3 & 4 are up!
1. Good Mornings

**Author's Notes:**Okay, I've been plotting and debating putting this up for some time now, trying to figure out what I could do with this character of mine, as well as my guilty pleasure which is Wrestling. I've been reading so many fics here, falling in love with the majority of them. For a while I been trying to brainstorm up some ideas as to what to do! I've finally found something, and I'm patting myself on the back!

**Disclaimer:** I do **not** own Jeff Hardy, or any of the wrestlers that appear in this fanfiction. They are all copyrighted to themselves..and you know, World Wrestling Entertainment and Vince McMahon. Suing me will not get you anything! I do however own Miss Aeryn Celia, who works as an artist, designing the t-shirts of countless WWE Superstars as well as a photographer, selected to do the rather cool 'Superstar Ink'. I don't own or the songs mentioned in the story!

**Summary:** Aeryn Celia, photographer and artist loves what she does. She isn't sure what to make of her lovelife when crossing paths with Jeff Hardy, an artist she admires from afar. Her pessimism is afraid of his optimism; can she beat her fears and go for The Charismatic Enigma?

**Hide and Seek**

_Chapter One- Good Mornings_

* * *

Aeryn Celia was already up an hour before her alarm clock had gone off, drawing the blinds and letting the sunlight pour into her bedroom and bathe her olive colored skin. Her amber colored eyes seemed to light up at today's events as she walked over to her entertainment system and turned it on, watching the blue LCD screen come to life and reaching for one of the knobs and making sure her iPod was on shuffle. Today would be a wonderful Monday morning in her eyes.

Sliding across her hardwood floor in her socks, she grinned as the music began to flood her apartment, opening her bathroom door and reaching behind the curtain and turning on the shower. She spun around, mouth opening to sing the song on the system.

"I never wanted to say this! You never wanted to staaaay! I put my faith in you so much baby and you just threw it awaaay! You threw it awaaaay!" she belted out.

Dancing back into her room, she pulled open one compartment of her dresser pulling out vibrant red underclothes before sliding over to a closet and pulling out a pair of jeans and a shirt. The deep brown haired female slid past her gray kitten, who looked up at her in confusion before hightailing it out of her way, crashing into the golden retriever pup not too far away.

"Sorry Kani and Fiolina!" Aeryn called out in sing song, tossing her oversized black t-shirt into the hamper.

The music continued to blare throughout the apartment, with Aeryn grabbing a washcloth and a bottle of body wash and squeezing it until a substantial amount was on the rag. Lathering up, she tilted her head back, running it over her frame whiler her hips continued to rock out to the quick beat that was _'CrushCrushCrush' _by Paramore. 10 minutes later, Aeryn was sashaying her way back into her room, singing into her hair brush, her other hand tightly gripping her pink towel. Her retriver puppy Kani followed her, barking and hopping, itching to score a few moments of playtime with his master.

This was a routine that happened just about every day of the week involving Aeryn. She danced and bounced around her apartment alone, because she'd die of utter embarrassment if anybody saw her acting like a complete fool. She made a pact with herself to make sure that no one, not even her closest friends saw this crazy...thing of hers. Aeryn only let herself go like this when she was by herself, never in front of her friends.

Drying off, Aeryn reached for her underclothes, slipping them on. Red underwear being halfway on, _'Love Rollercoaster' _by the Ohio Players started to play and it wasn't long until she squealed out loud, pulling the garment up so she wouldn't bust her ass like she did Sunday before going to see her friends for a couple of hours. Pulling on her jeans, she looked in the full length mirror, hands on her hips. She was inspecting her curvy, pear-shaped size 12 figure. Nodding to herself, she reached for her shirt as her phone began to ring loudly.

Aeryn quickly turned the volume of her music down, spinning around to see that her ever faithful Kani had taken the cordless phone off its cradle and brought it to her.

"Good boy!" she cooed, pressing the 'talk' button. "Hello?"

"Ah, Ms. Celia!" a familiar voice boomed into the phone, sounding rather deep, yet cheerful.

"G-Good Morning Mr.McMahon!" Aeryn stammered. The Chairman never really called her before, and she had seen him around when she went to visit WWE headquarters in Conneticut and got her job. For the most part, she knew that he was on the road with the rest of RAW Superstarts.

"I'm glad I caught you! is adding a new section to Inside the WWE, and you happen to be one of our best photographers, and this is why I'm calling you, Ms. Celia." Vince explained, "It's called Superstar Ink, and it'll showcase some of our WWE superstars' tattoos. Your photography skills are something to take in consideration, and I want nothing but the best for the website!"

Aeryn's eyes widened a little bit and she swore that her heart skipped a beat. Sure, she had seen the WWE Superstars before, she was part of the brainwork besides some of the designs they wore. Those designs and the superstars attracted millions of fans worldwide and Aeryn was flattered when fans picked them up. "Th-thank you!" she said finally, trying to refrain from jumping up and down.

"I'm putting you in charge of Superstar Ink," Vince continued, "You're going to select the best photographs that capture our superstars' tattoos at their finest angles!"

"Yes sir! When do I start?" Aeryn replied.

"It's effective tomorrow. You'll head to the studios and meet with the team. Your first candidate is Santino Marella! I can't wait to see the photgraphs you and the team come up with. Remember, I want the best Ms. Celia!" Vince finished.

"Yes! Of course! Thank you so much Mr.McMahon!" Aeryn gushed, excitement in her voice. When the call ended she screamed like she was in a slasher fic, however this scream was of nothing but pure elation. She jumped up and down, turning to sweep up her retriever puppy in her arms.

"Yay! I get to do something even greater! Superstar Ink! WOOOOOOOOOO!" she squealed, as Kani barked and licked at her face. "I've gotta tell my friends! I've gotta call mom! SOMEBODY! HOLY CRAP THIS IS AMAZING!"

Aeryn pushed her hair out of her eyes and pulled it up into a messy ponytail before putting on her sneakers and shirt. She reached for her cellphone, bag, iPod, and jacket and literally ran for the door, but not before tripping over a stray dog toy, causing her to fall flat on her face. Her excitement doused the pain that would pop up much later. It might not have been as good as getting to shoot in the arenas, but it was something and for that Aeryn was grateful. Out the door she went, bidding her neighbors a cheerful goodbye.

* * *

By the time the excitement wore off and the pain in her chest and abdomen set in, Aeryn was in her car heading for her mother's house. Traffic in New York City wasn't bothersome for her anymore, and she had gotten so used to it, she simply bided her time by listening to the radio. Tomorrow she'd be heading to the studios and starting the Superstar Ink project on top of coming up with new designs for Superstars. The chestnut haired girl found sheer joy in bringing pencil to paper, brush to canvas, and finger to shutter, joy in holding various high end cameras in her hand and being able to name the equipment she was given to work with. Aeryn had preferences like anybody else did, and she carried her own camera just incase she found it impossible to work with the equipment they had for her.

She loved her work, and she loved it even more when the Superstars gave their thanks once a design was finished, even though they were most of the brainstormers. She just enjoyed bringing their thoughts to life. A grin would break out onto her face when she watched an edition of Raw, ECW, or Smackdown and she'd see said superstar wearing her finished work. It was truly beautiful. And now she was getting to photograph the ink on their skin. Ink that held stories, reasons as to why they were there. Aeryn couldn't forget the bonus of seeing well muscled men shirtless for her. No woman would forget that, not with how attractive some of the superstars were.

"I wonder if I'll get the chance to hear about...say, Batista's tattoos," she spoke to no one in particular, another cheesy grin breaking out onto her face. She'd **love** to keep a picture of that chunk of sex in her apartment for a rainy day.

Traffic problems and train of thought over, Aeryn began circling the block until she found a parking space to fit her hybrid car. She hopped up the steps, ringing the loud doorbell and hearing the familiar heavy barking of her mother's German Shepard, Benson, followed by her mother's command of "Calm down! It's just the door!"

"Mama, open up!" Aeryn chirped, "It's me!"

"Aeryn! How's my baby girl?" Elise replied, pulling her daughter into a hug.

"I'm fine Mama, I've got _great_ news!" Aeryn started, following her mother into the house giving Benson a pat on the head.

Aeryn had inherited her olive colored skin and dark brown hair from her mother, and aquired her five feet, nine inch height from her amber eyed, light skinned father Thomas, who was still taller than she by a good foot and some inches. Elise raised Aeryn by herself and it wasn't until she was in her teenage years that her father finally put together some effort to start a relationship with her. Aeryn was always grateful for her father having a bigger part in her life, and she wished he was around at the moment so he could hear the good news. They had always talked about wrestling, speaking about the latest rivalries and placing dollar bets with one another, Aeryn becoming a dollar richer win or lose.

"Spill," Elise began with a smile on her face. "You have a boyfriend now?"

At that Aeryn blushed, finding sudden interest in petting Benson who didn't mind the attention. "I haven't met anybody like that yet..."

"That's because you're afraid to get your feet wet, honey!"

"Mama..." Aeryn trailed off, rolling her eyes. Elise was right though, it was time for the young woman to stop being the designated virgin who survived the horror movies. Aeryn just kept imagining that something bad was going to happen, and she chickened out somewhere along the way, afraid that she was going to get hurt, that somewhere she and the man she was with would hit a snag. Aeryn kept waiting for the moment she was ready, for the moment she'd be willing to give it up to a boyfriend, but she got scared. The 'What Ifs' settled in and she just..gave up. When she was cheated on, she told herself she deserved it, that she wasn't a good person despite the fact that she adored the man when she was in a relationship; she supported him in whatever he did as long as it made him happy.

"I get my feet wet...it just...never works out." she finished finally, sticking her bottom lip out.

"Alright, alright, enough about your man issues, what's the big news you wanted to spill?" Elise asked, coming out of the kitchen with two glasses of iced tea and some pretzels. At the prospect of the good news she got some time ago, Aeryn grinned.

"Mama, Vince McMahon put me in charge of Superstar Ink at the website!" she blurted, "I get photograph the Superstars and their tattoos and put the best shots on the site! I know you're not too crazy about wrestling and you don't watch it but this is a really big deal for me!"

"Baby, that's wonderful! When do you start?" Elise replied, leaning over to give her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"I start tomorrow, so I've gotta get back home and pack tonight...but..Mama it's just...wow! Maybe one day I'll even get to start shooting at the arenas!"

At those words Elise's smile faded somewhat, prompting Aeryn to raise an eyebrow. "Mama...what's up?"

"You know that stuff looks dangerous, what if you get hurt? You know I like it when you're behind the lense in a studio, away from the violence!" Elise replied quietly.

"Ah! Mama I said 'maybe'! And, the violence is like the _best_ part!" Aeryn reasoned, rolling her eyes again as she reached for a pretzel and bit into it. "I'm gonna be fine! I'm not shooting at arenas. And c'mon I'm doing stuff I **love**!"

"I know, I know..." Elise trailed off, "I better not see you in a ring though!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Aeryn replied, getting up. "I'd love to stay and chat and talk about the job you're sometimes not too fond of, but I gotta call Alex and Gwen! Bye bye Benson, take care of Mama okay?"

With that, the chestnut haired girl was out the door and toward her car, turning back to see Elise wave to her from the window with Benson. Aeryn gave them one last smile before heading off.

* * *

The hours of the afternoon gave way to the wonderful evening, leaving Aeryn at her home again with Kani and Fiolina on her bed as she turned on the television, turning to Monday Night Raw. She still couldn't believe that she'd be in charge of Superstar Ink; it was somewhat unreal. Sometimes she couldn't believe the WWE accepted her, and the payoff was wonderful! Tomorrow, she'd be snapping pictures of Santino Marella. It was entirely new and she was excited about that alone.

"Okay guys, Gwen's gonna come over to babysit and..." she trailed off, brown eyes falling on the screen.

_"Making his way to the ring, from Cameron North Carolina weighing in at two hundred and twenty five pounds, Jeff Hardy!"_ Lilian Garcia's voice echoed through the arena.

Aeryn grinned again, a blush breaking out onto her face. Her eyes lit up at the memory of his tattoo, the one that extended up to his neck. There had to be a story behind it, there just had to be! Jeff was so...out there it was amazing to Aeryn. She was aware for his love, his passion for art, she found it adorable when Jeff got into that 'incident' with Nitro and Melina involving the paint. The childlike smile on his face as he put up the infamous Hardyz guns made her smile.

She admired the aluminummy that was outside his studio, a studio she'd love to see one day. When she saw him, she had this strange urge to get up and paint or shoot something with her camera, it was an urge she couldn't ignore. It was an urge that whined and wailed about and gave birth to serious paintings or pictures she'd develop from her camera.

Gwen told Aeryn that this 'urge' was probably a hardcore crush, a desire to get into Jeff's pants. Aeryn wouldn't mind that one either.

"Ugh," Aeryn groaned, flopping back onto the couch, "There's noooo way I'd get to shoot him at Superstar Ink, let alone even be with him. I've gotta get my head out of the clouds."

When Jeff's match ended with him beating the Samoan Bulldozer Umaga to become the new Intercontinental champ, her negative thoughts faded, and she pushed herself up from off the couch heading toward her bedroom in search of her camera.

It was time to let off some creative steam.

* * *

Aeryn worked into the wee hours of the morning, going far as to take pictures of her sleeping pets, and the city skyscrapers in the distance. Her camera was out of space, and she was out of time to catch some sleep.

"Damn...I did it again.." she mumbled. "God, I need a life..."

"No, what you need is to take matters into your own hands and get Jeff to do the Superstar Ink bit." a voice interrupted, making Aeryn jump.

"Shit! Gwen, you scared me!" the girl breathed, her amber eyes glaring into her friend's cool jade ones. Gwen was the take charge friend of Aeryn's, sporting mahogany colored hair and fair skin. She pushed Aeryn forward, making her take risks and do things she never dared to do. Gwen was the one who pushed her to get involved with the WWE, and Aeryn couldn't thank her enough. Gwen was her rock when Elise wasn't there, and it would feel so odd leaving her behind.

_'Well, she can't always be my crutch...' _Aeryn thought, yawning.

"I came a little early to see you off and to play with Kani and Fiolina when I got back! Alex sends his wishes too. He wanted to come but eh you know him, celebrities call to get their hair, makeup, and wardrobes patched up. He left to L.A. to help the Pussycat Dolls." Gwen spoke, petting Kani and watching Fiolina hop up onto Aeryn's bed.

"Right, lemme shower and get dressed." Aeryn spoke, walking off into the bathroom and running the shower.

For the first time in ages, her routine had been broken. Little did she know, this was only the beginning.

* * *

_Okay! First Chapter is done! I planned to do Superstar Ink in order, but who likes order in this case?! Ha! Reviews are totally appreciated, and in the next chapter you get to see Santino, and Aeryn try to get Jeff to come in for Superstar Ink! And, since Aeryn sketches out the designs for the shirts, I'm leaving it up to you guys to pick a Superstar for that! I had Triple H in mind because I love the shirts that recently came out for him, but you guys choose! _


	2. That Thing Called 'Coincidence'

**Author's Note:** Thanks to those who left reviews, they're muchly appreciated! So I think I've finally gotten together a decent second chapter. I've spent the majority of time writing this chapter listening to -drumroll- Wrestling Music! I think I have a love for 'Turn Up the Trouble' and 'Burn In My Light' respectively, so expect appearances from Mr.Kennedy and of course, the Legend Killer! By the way, has anybody noticed that Jeff's tattoo had more work? It's actually there on his chest now. Hooray for ideas!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own World Wrestling Entertainment, it belongs to Vince McMahon and you know...the wrestlers are indeed copyrighted to themselves...I think! I own Aeryn, her friends, her team for the SI work, and family unless stated otherwise! Suing me won't get you anything, dudes!

* * *

**Hide and Seek**

Chapter Two - That thing called Coincidence

Aeryn spent about two hours on the plane and made sure to sleep during the majority of it since she failed to get any sleep the night before due to her massive creative burst after seeing Jeff on Raw. When the plane landed, she dragged her feet toward baggage claim to go wait on that crowded crooked line near the belt and turned on her phone. She had gotten used to traveling by plane, but she preferred roadtripping it ninety percent of the time because she could take in so many sights and enjoy them as opposed to seeing nothing but clouds and chewing gum to keep her ears from popping.

"Two missed messages..." Aeryn mumbled to herself, fishing through them. One was a text message from Gwen, who was more than likely wanting to make sure she arrived safely and the other was a voicemail from the studio. Pressing the device to her ear as she held onto her carry-on bag and watched as the belt began to move and pieces of luggage come through the small curtain, Aeryn hummed to herself waiting for a response.

"Yeah, hey Rob! Sorry about the lack of an early response, was on the plane!" she spoke, sounding unusually chipper for a person who only slept for such a limited amount of time. If her teammates at the studio gave her a good half hour and no snack or meal, the crankiness would set in. "...Uh huh, Santino Marella is the first one for Superstar Ink. Hour and a half you say? I think I can beeline it there after I check in."

Multi-tasking Aeryn reached for her white suitcase and pulled it off the line while still speaking, "Who else could we find for Superstar Ink? I-ah!" In the midst of her backing up, her back hit someone's chest and she immediately turned around, ready to spew apologies.

"I'm so, so—Holy crap Paul!" she blurted, "What're you doing here?!"

Aeryn had bumped into one Paul Levesque, or more affectionately known as 'The Game', Triple H. Paul shook his head a wry smile coming across his face. The blonde haired man had sat down with Aeryn months before to design a new shirt, one of the new shirts he had worn in the midst of his just returning after his quad injury four to six months ago.

"More picture taking, houseshow, and ECW's here." was his reply, "I take it you're here for the pictures?"

"Yep, Vince is putting me in charge of the photo work on the new section at the site, Superstar Ink." Aeryn replied, watching the muscular man reach for his bags, "I've got a new shirt idea for you by the way, but I'm pressed for time as it is! I'll see you at the studio later if I bump into you again! It's really good by the way!"

"It better be," Paul snorted, "Gotta look good, kiddo." He smirked at her before they bumped fists lightly, although the female would have to ignore the dull ache in her hand; wrestlers just did not know their own strength sometimes.

"Have I _ever_ steered your designs wrong? I mean **really**!" Aeryn grinned, pulling her suitcase after giving Paul a wave goodbye. She would have stayed to talk a little more and even pitch him the design idea but she was of course, still pressed for time. She hadn't even realized she left one of her teammates still on the phone just yet as she got into the taxi and headed for the hotel.

Upon her arrival, she realized it was a superstar bonanza. Aeryn had run into John Morrison, the rather egotistcal Miz (who requested that she take a few of his pictures to capture his greatness), Phil Brooks, or rather CM Punk. The deep chestnut haired girl made a note to get CM Punk to come in for Superstar Ink when she caught a glimpse of the tattoos on his arms, and the familiar 'DRUG FREE' one on his fingers. On the elevator she had a conversation with Matt Striker, and when she made it to her room, she was almost sad that she couldn't lounge around the hotel and see if any other faces popped up every now and then.

"Guess I'll unpack this stuff later, I'll just get my cameras and my sketchpad and be on my way." Aeryn mumbled to herself, dusting off her shortsleeved shirt and reaching for her phone. When she realized that the minutes on the top of the backlit screen were still on she cursed.

"Ah shit Rob I'm so sorry dude!"

* * *

It was no surprise that when Aeryn got to the studio with ten minutes to spare, she was face to face with a rather miffed looking writer. Robert was the gruff but loveable writer that would be interviewing Santino while Aeryn shot the photographs. The majors in designing the site, Lauren and Greg would be there to upload the photos and unleash their webscripting work and string it together. 

"Eh heh...sorry about that Rob..." Aeryn trailed off, giving the red haired, green eyed man a sheepish grin as he stroked his goatee before slicking his hair back. "Bumped into Paul and then had to race to the hotel and—"

"Can the excuses, Celia. You know I hate being put on hold like that." Robert snorted.

"Yeah, yeah...where's Santino?" Aeryn asked, setting her bag down and pulling out her camera.

"Mister Marella should be here in another twenty minutes, which gives us the time to set up the backdrops which are rather basic." Lauren piped up. Lauren was a level headed brunette with striking amethyst eyes, while her partner Greg was a midnight haired, gray eyed, and somewhat chipper man.

"How basic?" Aeryn asked.

"Black and white." Greg intervened, holding up the black and white tarps. "I figured we'd shoot with both backdrops, choose the best ones that'll go on the site and then Lauren and I will work our magic!"

"Perfect. It's nice to come across at least _one_ excited face that's on my team. Thank you for being upbeat about this, Greg!" Aeryn replied.

"Studio's already got a camera set up, kiddo." Robert pointed out.

"I know, but I like taking my camera for the just in case moments!" the woman replied with another grin, "Remember the last camera? That one produced stupid shots and we ended up being an inconvenience to Morrison when we asked him to retake the shots!"

"You mean **you** ended up being an inconvenience when **you** asked him if you could retake the shots." Robert muttered, sitting behind his laptop and opening up a document or two.

"Aw c'mon Robbie," Greg reasoned with a grin of his own as he put up the black backdrop, "Aerie was really lucky when she stroked the Shaman of Sexy's big ego! He agreed to retake them _and_ we got awesome shots, not to mention Vince was pleased! When the boss is pleased it's a total green light!"

"We got some time to spare before Santino gets here, who else should we get for Superstar Ink?" Aeryn asked, gesturing for Lauren to get in front of camera so she could do some test shots and figure out if she'd be using her own camera to get the desired results.

"I was thinking about asking CM Punk." she continued finally, snapping pictures of a rather still Lauren which made the artist in her feel down. "Argh, Lauren I know these are test shots but don't be unenthusiastic like Rob! Gimme fun! Gimme something that's not just...there!"

"CM Punk is good." Lauren replied, striking a pose or two as Aeryn snapped away. "What about...Jeff Hardy? We've all seen the new tattoo of his right?"

Aeryn tensed up a little bit at the mention of Jeff's name as she continued snapping some more shots, and Gwen's advice of asking Jeff to do Superstar Ink flooded her mind. She was itching to know about the tattoo, she was positive there was a story behind it and she just had to hear what it was. "...Yeah...saw it Monday night through those arm stockings of his. Getting Jeff for Superstar Ink would be great..."

"There's also Randy Orton, Edge, Balls Mahoney, MVP, Shannon Moore...these guys have got ink too." Greg pointed out as Aeryn looked up from behind the camera and then turned to look at the other computer screen that displayed the recent test photos.

"Perfect. The camera's good, and yeah slowly but surely we should get those guys on for SI too! I've totally been meaning to ask Edge about his new tattoo anyways, and pitch another design idea for his whole Rated R bit, which is genius I might add. The guy's the most hated superstar with some fans, but he's one of the best heels ever." Aeryn replied, deleting the test shots and setting up the new film for Santino. All those other superstars _were_ great, but they didn't stick in her mind the way Jeff did. She was starting to think that Gwen was right; maybe she _did_ want in his pants. Maybe that'd change everything for the best. However, Aeryn was _never_ the 'one night stand' person. She'd get too attached, she knew it.

"Yo! Guys! Santino's here!" Robert pointed out, gesturing to the door.

Aeryn looked up from positioning the camera and checking the backdrop and turning to the superstar that had entered the room. Ah yes, Santino Marella. He may have been the true definition of Italian in the photographer's eyes; his accent carried well, not to mention the dark hair and skin. For the most part it was his wonderful accent that made Aeryn want to invest in a trip to the land of Italy that Santino spoke so fondly of when he _wasn't_ dissing another superstar or a movie in America (although she found it ironic that he hails from New Jersey). Santino may have come off arrogant, and arrogance wasn't something Aeryn was too fond of, especially since most of the time Santino couldn't back his stuff up. How in the hell he snagged Maria was beyond the other woman.

"Santino Marella," she started extending her hand to the man, "Welcome, and my team and I would like to thank you for being the first superstar to tell us about your tattoos."

"What can I say, I love being first!" was the reply as he shook her hand.

"Now if you'll step right over there, I'll begin shooting and then Robert'll interview you and ask about your tattoos, I'm sure I'll hear somethin interesting!"

* * *

The shoot had been a success, and Aeryn couldn't keep from grinning once it was all said and done and she was sitting in the chair next to a rather pleased Lauren. The first shoot of Superstar Ink was a total success and they were halfway there. Currently, Aeryn was selecting some of the best photographs, the photos that displayed Santino's tattoos at their best, the photos millions of people would see. That may have seemed like a big deal and made Aeryn nervous, but that wasn't the case. She was confident with the photos she selected, and she left the rest in Lauren and Greg's hands. 

"I'm gonna step out for some coffee, gimme a sec okay?" with that, Aeryn was out the door and down the hall way. Today had been a good day in her eyes, although she didn't get to rock out in her room with her puppy and kitten back in New York, the beginning of a project started and that was always exciting for the the woman. Besides, that's why she had a hotel room. Stretching her arms above her head, she let out a yawn and realized that sleep was starting to catch up with her finally. Wanting to shell out a few more hours and possibly go out to a celebratory dinner with her team, Aeryn's search for coffee became a little quicker. Down the hallway she walked, passing by various rooms, some containing other superstars, and others containing beautiful models. She walked by one open door, not bothering to look but paused when she heard a voice.

_"Okay Jeff, just a few more with the Intercontinental belt!"_

_'Back step, girl.' _Aeryn thought, literally walking backward slowly and poking her head in little by little. Sure enough, there was his six foot, one inch frame standing behind a white backdrop, heavy looking Intercontinental belt in one hand, other hand sporting the Hardyz guns. It was the same body she saw on Monday night, the same one that wowed the crowd and beat the odds. It was no literal David and Goliath bit (she saved that for Rey Mysterio), but it was something to be in awe over. She blinked slowly, letting her amber eyes scale over Jeff's black wifebeater covered chest, down to the black, silver studded belt and then to the seemingly baggy pants that hid possibly well defined legs. Her trail roamed back up to the arm stockings that concealed but displayed the new tatoo.

What was it? Aeryn chewed at the inside of her bottom lip, leaning into the room a little more. If she could just get a better look...she noted it extended up to his neck at this point and she briefly noted the pain that had to have caused. This concealed the fact that she had to get Jeff to do Superstar Ink; it was simple, right? Of course it was, because it would have been completely weird if she suddenly asked him 'Oh hey, I really like your tattoo, can I take pictures for my own personal interest!'. That would've made her look like some stalker, maybe even worse. Her body was on its way to being completely in the room when a hard poke in the ribs was felt, causing her to jump and spin around.

"What the fuck!!" Aeryn blurted mid turn and pressing up against the doorframe. "Adam?!"

"And I thought I had the potty mouth." Her 'assailant' happened to be the Rated R Superstar, Edge. Adam gave her a grin, displaying his pearly whites before patting her on the shoulder. "How's it goin, 'Ryn?"

"Dude, you can't just...creep up on me like that!" Aeryn protested, looking up at the taller man. She had met Adam when they sat down to sketch out the 'Sex & Violence' T-shirts and deal with getting it cleared. Aeryn believed that whole actual scandal was crazy and a bit surprising but she wasn't one to judge a person she didn't know. What happened with Adam and Amy simply happened, and it was a shame that Amy eventually left the WWE on a bitter note later on. Over time, Aeryn found herself sketching ideas that would go with the Rated R bit and it took a huge amount of courage to ask the blonde haired man for his number just so she could eventually exchange said designs. When it was a success you could say the pair developed a friendship.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interupt your Jeff Watch. I'm sure the studio's got binoculars here somewhere." Adam commented finally, the grin on his face not leaving. It possibly widened when Aeryn's face turned beet red and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I wasn't watching!" she snorted.

"Riiiight, you weren't watching, you were undressing the Hardy with your eyes." was the nonchalant, but amused reply from the Canadian.

"I-I wasn't! I was just thinking it'd be...cool for him to come in for Superstar Ink!" Aeryn stammered, briefly glancing back into the room over her shoulder to see Jeff behind the camera, looking at the finished shots with the photographer.

"Enlighten me as to what you're talkin' about, 'Ryn." Adam questioned, pulling her down the hallway.

"Superstar Ink is gonna be a new section on the site, showcasing Superstars, their tattoos, and the stories behind them. I just finished shooting the first superstar Santino. And before you continue, you know I'm gonna ask you to shoot for it too. You've got like... four or five tattoos and I wanna know why you got 'em...specifically if you were totally wasted when you did any of them." Aeryn replied, grinning, earning herself a pinch on the hip. "Ow!"

"I was not wasted, and I'm offended you didn't come find me first." Adam scoffed jokingly, feigning hurt.

"I had no idea you'd even be here, taking pictures!" Aeryn reasoned. "I promise you'll be the next Superstar if I can't get Jeff to do it."

"...I'd protest me going _after_ Jeff but alright." Adam replied before patting the woman on her head, smirking.

"What am I, a dog?" the woman scoffed, making a face before poking Adam in the ribs, "When I shoot you, you better look _and _gimme sexy always do, 'Ryn. Now go before you miss your eyecandy." There was that grin again, and it made the chestnut haired woman blush in embarrassment.

"He's not my eyecandy!" Aeryn protested, jogging back down the hallway and looking back into the room.

Empty.

"Damn...I must've missed him..." Aeryn panted, hands on her hips. Her amber eyes lit up when she caught sight of him walking toward the elevator and so she picked up her feet again. The closer she got to him, the more the butterflies started fluttering about, and she started to wonder if she was still blushing. Oh boy was she having flashbacks to her years in High School; she clammed up around crushes and simply _stared_. Well that was seven years ago, and it was time to gather some more courage up and say something.

_'It's not like you're confessing your feelings either! Just...ask him!' _Aeryn thought to herself as her mouth opened.

"Jeff!"

_'See?! That wasn't so bad!'_

Jeff turned around and a smile appeared on his face. He'd seen Aeryn at the door just a few moments ago, and he had assumed she'd come into the room to speak to the photographer which is why he ended the photo shoot a little early, but when Adam pulled her down the hallway he figured something came up. Hazel eyes watched as she raised a hand, signaling that she wanted to catch her breath. He had time, so why not?

"Aeryn, right?" he said finally.

_'It should be a crime to sound that sweet...that southern accent of his is the best thing ever...' _the brown haired woman thought, and immediately kicked herself for swooning like she was in high school again. _'Stay on track, girl!'_

"Y-yeah..." was the somewhat quiet reply from Aeryn before she pocketed her hands and spoke again. "I wanted to catch you before you left because I wanted to ask you somethin'..."

"Ask away."

"Well, I got picked to do some special shoots with certain superstars...it's called Superstar Ink and—" Aeryn started, only to hear Greg's voice from down the hallway.

"Aeryn! I thought you were going for coffee! We need your opinion on something!"

"In a second!" Aeryn called, turning around a little.

"**NOW**!" Robert's agitated voice boomed, making both her and Greg flinch and Jeff raise an eyebrow.

"Sounds like someone needs to lighten up a little bit. You were sayin'?" he asked Aeryn while putting the Intercontinental belt back on his shoulder.

"Oh! Right! Well I need to get back but I'll tell you about it the next time I see you...uhm...uh...better yet, you think you can...gimme your number and I'll call you about it later?" Aeryn stammered, pretty sure her cheeks were on fire.

"I don't see why not, got a pen?"

_'Pen! Pen! Dammit find a pen, woman!' _Aeryn blurted in her mind, looking left and right, eventually finding a stray pen and holding out her palm. "It's asking for ink poisoning but eh, I'll wipe it off when I get back to the hotel."

With a small hum, Jeff took Aeryn's hand in his and the woman smiled, looking at him and then at her palm as the ink began to appear. When all was said and done, she retracted her hand and he smiled at her, leaving her to make sure her legs didn't give way on her or something. To anybody else, it might've been a damn shame that she had it this bad for a single man.

"Thanks! I'll call you about it..." she said finally as the elevator doors opened and Jeff stepped on. Turning around her flashed her another smile and all Aeryn could do was smile back and manage a wave with her ink covered hand as the doors closed. It was that same adorable smile he gave the camera during that paint incident, and the woman had to keep from going 'awwww' and drag her frame back down the hall to a semi confused Greg and a now completely annoyed Robert who had to get up from his chair.

Now came the hard part, being able to call him.

* * *

On the ride back home, Aeryn kept staring at her hand and smiling before it would fade and she'd remember that she needed to call Jeff and she'd freak out a little bit. By the time she was on one of the elevators, her cellphone was out and she was slowly pressing the numbers to Jeff's phone. On her walk down the seemingly long hallway, she finally pressed the talk button and waited. When it began to ring, a louder sound was heard coming from the door next to her room. 

"Oh hell no..." she blurted softly, looking from her phone to the door next to her room. '_OH HELL FUCKING NO. God, why do you do these things to meeeee?'_

"Hello?" the voice on the other end answered.

Aeryn knocked on the door slowly, wanting to make sure. She heard heavy footsteps walking toward the door and it opened.

Jeff's eyes met Aeryn's, and she swore that God had a wicked sense of humor.

* * *

_Alright! That was the second chapter! I've already started working on the third, and I hope you've enjoyed this installment readers. I promise you'll see more of Jeff in the third chapter, and his decision on shooting for SI! Will Rob ever be nice? Eh, I dunno but don't mind him, he's not all that important! Who will be shot next for SI? I don't know! Stay tuned!_


	3. Coming Around

**Author's Note:** No more rambling from me, but Aeryn's finally building up a little more courage! Not to mention I think Jeff'll start coming around too! Wheee! Enjoy the third chapter! Originally the beginning was apart of the second chapter but I figured it suit the 3rd one better so...yeah! Sorry about the huuuuge delay, y'all! And Yes, I'm doing the superstars out of order!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own World Wrestling Entertainment, it belongs to Vince McMahon and you know...the wrestlers are indeed copyrighted to themselves...I think! I own Aeryn, her friends, her team for the SI work, and family unless stated otherwise! Suing me won't get you anything, dudes!

**Hide and Seek**

Chapter Three - Coming Around

_'Okay Lord, if this is you sending me a man __**after**__ I wished for one on my twenty first birthday, then...wow. __**Real**__ funny, man.' _the woman thought as she tried to get herself to say something so she wouldn't end up staring at him clad in a warm looking black sweater and a pair of jeans.

"H-heeeey..." she spoke nervously, "I kinda...you know...have the next room..."

"Good," Jeff started, hanging up his phone which made Aeryn blink in confusion, "I meant to ask for yours but the doors had already closed and you were already on your way back down the hallway."

"Ohhh! S-sorry about that.."

"Don't apologize. Hey, while you're here why don't you tell me about this Superstar Ink thing." Jeff spoke, opening the door a little more and gesturing for her to walk inside.

"Sure, but just gimmie a few minutes to unwind and I'll be back over!" Aeryn spoke, while pulling out her key card and leaning toward her door and opening it. Smoothness was something that was foreign to Aeryn Celia at the moment, and out of the corners of her eyes she could see him smile warmly at her before closing his door just a little and it made her stomach do flip flops.

She tossed her bag onto the bed and fell face downward onto the soft, bouncy mattress. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. Sure she was starstruck the first few months of working with the WWE and that passed just a little, but nothing compared to how giddy, creative, and..._weird_ she got when in the presence of Jeff Hardy. Her mother wouldn't classify it as weird, she'd say she had a crush, and Gwen would tell her she was hot for the Rainbow Haired Warrior.

"Maybe it's both..." she mumbled, running her hands through her hair and finding the strength to push herself up off the bed. Her definition of unwind had always been a hot bath and some iPod time, but that wasn't the case. Her definition of unwind at the moment was to mull over her..._thing_ for Jeff. It was possibly even harder because he had no clue what so ever, and she didn't have the guts to say anything. She knew if she said something a weight would be lifted and she could move on to step two.

"This is terrible..." she sighed, looking in the mirror. Aeryn needed a crash course in leaping instead of trying to play it safe. She believed she had been needing that crash course since her teenaged years. '_Social butterfly my ass._' she thought, heaving another sigh and sitting up completely to push herself off the bed and reach for her bag. There were three things inside that she took with her every single day: her camera, phone, and her iPod. If you found her without one of them, she was bound to be miserable. Flipping on her iPod, she shuffled through the songs, selecting one that would at least calm her nerves.

"I'm just asking my crush if he'll let me take a few pictures of him showing off his tattoos so I can put them on a website." the woman spoke out loud rather slowly, testing the bundle of words out as the slow melody of Ingrid Michaelson's 'Morning Lullabies' churned through her headphone. '_Well hell, that wasn't so bad._' she thought, grabbing the book that had the shots she'd need as an example, and briefly shuffled through the glossed pages and the post it notes with her black scribblings and Greg's comments in the red ink, which looked more orange on the yellow colored paper. When she reached the blank slot in the book, the emptiness made her realize it would be lovely to have Jeff's ink apart of said book. She wondered if she'd have the same sense of pride, the sense of a job very well done like she did when she finished taking shots of Santino if she took the pictures of Jeff.

"Only one way to find out and that's to ask him..." she said, closing the book. Finally, her passion for photography and creative direction outshone her hard crush on Jeff and that was what got her up off the bed and out the door.

Aeryn raised her arm to knock on the door, inhaling deeply and pasting a smile on her face when it opened. The smile immediately died down when she realized Jeff didn't look too happy. "Uh....." she trailed off, "...Should I...come back later?"

"No, no it's alright," Jeff started, "Come in, please."

Aeryn walked in, briefly taking a look around the room that looked like hers, stark and bland. She'd take pictures in this room in black and white because it was uninpsiring for her most of the time. She wasn't surprised to see his bag open and clothes strewn out. Ever familiar ring gear out, bottles of temporary hair dye on the table next to the stark white hotel phone, Aeryn realized that her room still look untouched.

Jeff gestured to the vacant chair and she took a seat, sitting cross legged and letting her book fall into her lap softly.

"Okay...let's get down to business. Recently, Vince had open up a new part of the Inside the WWE section called Superstar Ink. It's self explanitory really...basically, you as the superstar tell the world wide web's surfers, wrestling fans, about the tattoos you guys have." Aeryn started, her eyes landing on Jeff, who seemed to listen intently to her. She had learned from countless interviews to maintain good eye contact, no matter how nervous she got.

"...And I take the pictures, put up the best ones on the site and then that's pretty much it. I have an example of Santino Marella's if you wanna see them...and my camera work in general..." she trailed off, holding out the book.

Jeff took the leather bound book and opened it, his eyes settling on some of the digital studio pictures she had of familiar co-workers of his. He saw CM Punk, John Morrison, Paul London and Brian Kendrick and flipped through the book wordlessly until he came across a couple of pictures and a small smile broke out onto his face.

"Hmmm, I've never seen him wrestle before.." he said, holding open the book to Aeryn and watching her blush and little a grin sheepishly.

"Oh! That's my dog back in New York...his name's Makani but I call him 'Kani for short..." she replied softly, "And the cat in the other picture next to him is Fiolina. They're such a joy to be around..."

"I've gotta meet 'em then, next time I'm in New York." Jeff replied. "Makes me think about Jack and the rest of the bunch back home."

"That's right...you've got seven other dogs.." Aeryn spoke, "Well two pets are enough for me. They help me out all the time back home when I'm not doing studio work for the company...and I'm totally rambling to you."

"Nah, you've got nothin' to worry about. It's fine, Aeryn. As for the Superstar Ink thing, I'll have to think about it. It's the first time I've been asked somethin' this personal. I mean...the tattoos I've got are symbolic for me.." Jeff replied, closing the book and handing it back to her.

"I understand, some people have gotten ink on them because a tattoo means something to them...but that's what's so amazing and wonderful about them. I think they tell these amazing or simple but grand stories, they tell whoever's looking at them what you're about, or what someone means to you. That's why I decided to take the job. I've got a high pain threshold so I wouldn't consider telling a story on my body, but I'd love to hear about the tattoos superstars have. I think you're pretty damned eccentric and amazing, and I know if you told me about your tattoos I'm sure I'd be amazed." Aeryn replied, standing up. When she realized she was still staring at Jeff as she told him why she took this job, she shifted nervously.

"Shit, I'm rambling again."

"You're fine."

Aeryn managed a smile as she stood up, scribbling something on paper before handing it to Jeff. "Well, when you change your mind, just give me a call and we can set something up..."

"Of course, I'll give you a call." Jeff smiled at her and Aeryn quickly turned around and walked toward the door.

"...Thanks so much again for at least considering it Jeff. Besides, the fans'll go crazy if you decide to do it!" she continued, turning around to look at him and give him another smile. "So...yeah...just call me when you've made your decision!"

And she quickly slipped back to her room, trying not to turn back around. Otherwise, she'd just trip over herself quite literally and that wouldn't be amazing, especially if Jeff had been watching her.

As the day wore down into the evening, Aeryn lazed about her hotel room, toying with her camera and the pictures inside. There was no use in simply doing nothing while waiting for Jeff's answer, there were so many other superstars out there with stories on their bodies!

* * *

The next morning, Aeryn had gotten herself up to pick out her clothes and take a look at her itinerary for today. Of course, the same morning ritual she did at home didn't stay there. iPod docked onto speakers, she shimmied around that small hotel room, belting out the song of choice which had been 'Crash and Burn Girl' by songstress Robyn. With the constant beat, she danced her way into her jeans, slipped on her heels and buttoned up each button on her blouse with every nod of her head. This was the one point in the morning where she didn't have to think about things until the song had ended and she walked out the door with her hair in place and camera fully charged and ready to take pictures.

Slipping on her gray vest, she grabbed her bag and did a double check of all of her necessities. When the song cut off, she grabbed her iPod and headed toward the door, flinging it open.

"Morning!" Adam's voice chorused in sing-song, prompting Aeryn to jump back a little.

"Jesus! How the hell do you do that?!" she asked, holding her chest and glaring at him. It was just like yesterday.

"Okay this time I knocked on your door, but with the music blasting I doubted you could hear me. It's a little early for a party don't you think?" Adam replied, flashing her that grin of his. It usually meant he was plotting something, but this time he was just being a goof.

"It's a morning ritual, but how'd you know where I was staying?" Aeryn huffed, closing her room door behind her.

"It's called asking the front desk." Adam stated matter of factly, "Annnd I also ran into your partner Greg after coming in."

"Yeah yeah. So! I talked to Jeff and he has to call me back about Superstar Ink, so! Be ready to take some pictures for me later this afternoon. Or tonight, but then I'll miss out on my beauty sleep." Aeryn said, grinning sheepishly while walking to the elevator and pressing the button.

"You really do love me! You're gonna pull an all nighter!" Adam teased, throwing an arm around her shoulder as the doors opened.

"By the way, I think I have another shirt design for you." Aeryn replied, opening her bag to fish out her phone and skim through it. "It could couple sex and violence, but what about Lewd, Crude, and Tattooed? I wanna do something with that!"

"Hmmmm....'Ryn, you've got another good one on your hands." Adam said, nodding his head in approval.

"Nothing compares to the 'Sex and Violence' one though. That one's my favorite. I still have T-shirts back at home—"

The sound of Aeryn's phone ringing cut her off, and she looked at the screen as the elevator doors opened. "Gotta take this. It's Rob, my loveable co-worker who I sometimes want to slap for being such a pain in the ass." she beamed, stepping out of the elevator. "Morning Rob!"

"Morning. Just got off the phone with the heads of the WWE website and they love the turnout. They want more superstars so I was thinking—" Robert began.

"Oh! Hey not to worry! I already found another willing superstar! The Rated R Superstar! He's got ink, he's got a story." Aeryn interrupted.

"Well I'll be damned. Bring him in and let's get started! We've only got another day before the superstars haul ass to the next state and we gotta give 'em something else!" Robert said into the phone. "And don't be late this time or I'll find another photographer!"

"Yeah yeah I'll be there on time..." Aeryn muttered, hanging up.

"Sounds like that conversation went well." was the sarcastic remark from Adam, making the woman huff and turn to look up at him.

"Rob's threatening to get another photographer if I don't haul ass to the studio. And I did say I wanted to shoot you so if you're ready, I'll be happy to give you a lift."

"Alright, but only so Rob won't fire you."

"So! Mister Rated R, tell us about those tattoos!" Lauren asked excitedly while Aeryn prepped the cameras and Rob stood by as Greg looked between the backgrounds.

"Yeah, I'm just shooting some test shots so...shirt off please." Aeryn replied. When the shirt hit the nearby chair, Lauren let out a wolf whistle and Greg froze as Adam grinned again.

"Yeah ladies...and Greg, I know I'm pretty damned hot." he spoke proudly.

"Take it easy, that ego of yours may offend Orton and Morrison." Aeryn chuckled, looking through the screen of her digital camera and then through the lense of the studio camera, adjusting the blur so it came in much sharper.

"The Legend Killer and the so called Shaman of Sexy have got nothing on me." Adam retorted, hands on his hips.

"Okay, I beg to differ. Morrison has got abs to die for." Aeryn teased, sticking her tongue out at him, pressing the shutter on the studio camera and gestured for Lauren to take a look at the computer screen.

"Morrison may have killer abs, but from the way you were checking out Hardy yesterday I'd say you don't care." was the next response out of Adam's mouth, prompting Aeryn to let out an odd noise and look at him.

"I-I was not checking him out! I was just watching the crew take pictures of him with the Intercontinental belt! So there!" she insisted. Her red face said otherwise. "Just for that I'm putting up the ugly test shots of you now!"

"Aw c'monnn I'm sorry. I love you!" Adam pouted, giving her makeshift puppy dog eyes.

"....Okay, but I expect a nice cup of Starbucks in the future to seal the deal." Aeryn replied. "Now get serious, Rob looks like he's gonna burst a gasket if these pictures don't get taken and he can't ask you questions."

"Thank you! I'm the only one who wants my job!" Robert muttered, throwing his hands up.

"Blah blah blah." Lauren rolled her eyes.

Aeryn snickered, returning to her camera. Looking through the lense at Adam, she couldn't help but smile. There were moments he looked his best and worst, and this happened to be one moment where he looked great. It was nice seeing this side of him, even if she did yell at his character when watching at home. He was right when he said that if the fans loved to hate him, then he was doing his job. Adam was one of the better heels, right up there with Randy Orton. When the cameras went off and she got to talk to him, he was a nice guy, a bit of a goofball at heart.

In the back of her head, she kept thinking it was going to be just as amazing getting to take pictures of Jeff....if he said yes to the idea of course. She really hoped he did.

Standing up from behind the camera as Lauren gave her the thumbs up, Aeryn smiled toward Adam. "Alright you, come take a look at these, and you can help me pick out the ones you think are best. And don't give the smartass answer Marella did. He's not that photogenic." she said.

"You've got the eye, 'Ryn. You really don't need me." Adam insisted, walking over to the computer screen and trying not to laugh at Lauren who looked like she was going to die if he didn't put his shirt back on. "But I'll help if it means that much to you."

"Thank youuuuuuu!" Aeryn beamed again.

Once the pictures were selected, Aeryn bid Adam a goodbye remembering he had more travelling to do before she returned to Lauren and Greg who were taking down the backdrops while Rob was saving things on a drive. The brown haired girl stretched and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and took a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

"Well that was something, Lauren, Greg, you guys just have to piece it together on the site right?" she asked.

"Yeah! I've been to some other sites, you know fansites for certain superstars and their reaction to Superstar Ink is surprisingly positive! They're hoping to see their favorite tattooed stars up in the future! I've been reading tons of wishes for CM Punk and Rey Mysterio. We have to get these guys to come in!" Lauren replied.

The news made Aeryn smile; if the fans wanted CM Punk and Rey Mysterio, then she would give them to those fans. Despite Superstar Ink being in it's fledgling stage, she would help it grow and hoped to showcase all the tattooed superstars in the WWE.

"Annd that's a wrap! Edge's pictures will be up next week, and we can work on getting another available superstar!" Lauren cheered, gathering her belongings.

"Cosmos with breakfast?" Greg suggested, beaming.

"Oh, you go on. It's too early for me to drink." Aeryn teased while Rob let out a grunt and stood up.

"I could use a cold beer right about now. Aeryn, you're the last one to be outta here don't forget to do the last bit of clean up." he said, patting her shoulder.

"I'm not the one who's been inhaling Milky Way bars and Water for breakfast!" Aeryn protested, frowning. "I'm surprised you're the one who's even on time, drunkie!"

* * *

Aeryn spent an additional 15 minutes in the studio, going through the photos on her camera. She had been deciding which extra ones she'd have for a keepsake in her book when her phone began to ring loudly. The number wasn't recognizable so she contemplated on letting it ring for a couple more moments before deciding against it.

"Aeryn Celia speaking."

"Well, this is a far cry from the nervous woman I met yesterday. How are you Miss Celia?" A familiar voice spoke on the other end.

"Jeff!" Aeryn blurted, standing up out of her chair. "Oh God..Hi! I'm fine, how're you?"

She could have sworn she heard him chuckle before he answered. "I'm in a bit of a problem here."

"Problem?"

"Yeah, my rental car's down and I need a lift to the Arena."

"And...you know I have a rental car of my own how?" Aeryn asked, taking a seat. Thank God Gwen wasn't here, she'd be mouthing for Aeryn to not ask questions and just give Jeff a ride.

"I ran into Adam on his way out, and I asked about you." Jeff reasoned.

"Uh huh..." Aeryn nodded to no one in particular, "Well...alright, let me pack up my stuff and I'll be to you in about five minutes."

"Of course. See you in five, Miss Celia."

"Yeah! And by the way don't call me 'Miss'. It makes me feel old." Aeryn chuckled, cheeks still red. Bidding Jeff a quick goodbye, she packed up her stuff at break neck speed and headed out the door toward the elevator.

When she made it outside, she saw Jeff standing there and she briskly strode over to him, a smile painted on her face. "Well, your female knight in shining armor is here. If you've got the directions we can get going."

"It's Conneticut Aeryn, you can't get lost." Jeff replied, gesturing to take her bags so he could put them in the backseat for her.

Aeryn did so, nodding, "You know, I told my friend Gwen that. I said 'It's New Jersey Gwen you can't get lost.' And you know what? We ended up in the middle of nowhere. So since then I have a policy. Directions or we don't go."

"Gettin' lost won't be so bad. It'll be like sightseein'." Jeff laughed, smiling at her as he got into the front seat and she followed suit, taking out the keys and starting up the car.

"It's only sightseeing when you _don't_ have something to do...or when you just wanna drive, or just randomly wanna go on road trips...which I love by the way." Aeryn shot back, a smile of her own on her face.

She pulled off onto the road, whistling.

"Did you really get lost in Jersey?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, we actually did. We were going to our best friend's wedding and Gwen said she had the exact directions. Those directions failed because she tried to remember them from her head. So poof! Right up in the middle of nowhere." Aeryn replied, signaling and pulling out onto the highway.

"Did you girls even make it?"

"Yeah! We actually did make it, courtesy of my mother's teachings of leaving about an hour or so before you're really supposed to. The wedding was fantastic, and the pictures were good. I enjoyed taking them."

"I hope you don't mind my askin', but what made you decide to become a photographer and work with the WWE?" Jeff asked, tilting his head at Aeryn. He took note of the way her eyes seemed to brighten, and a smile appeared on her face again. That right there keyed him in to just how much she may have loved what she did.

"Well, I love telling stories, it's as simple as that. I have no skills as a writer, but taking pictures is something I love doing. A picture's worth a thousand words and maybe some more. People can gather so many things, so many opinions from a single photograph. Wrestling physically tells a story, pictures do the same. With wrestling, I think pictures capture a specific moment in time," Aeryn paused thoughtfully, "freeze it, and it tells a story. I'd love taking those pictures my self one day. For now, I'll worry about Superstar Ink."

"That's amazin'." Jeff remarked, "Who knows, maybe you will be able to travel and take pictures. So many places to see, so many fans to interact with."

"Oh yeah, I've seen it. You know, I haven't been outside the United States. And going to the Carribean and South America on a cruise for a week doesn't count. I mean going to the other half of the globe." Aeryn replied, "I'm a pretty sheltered woman."

"Really?"

"Jeff, my idea of going out of the norms is coming home from a party the same time I usually get up to walk my dog. By the way, we're here at the arena."

"Aeryn, that's not going out of the norms." Jeff chuckled, unbuckling his seat belt as Aeryn shut the car off.

"I know! You sound like Gwen." the woman remarked, "Besides, I could not compare to the King of Extreme, the Charismatic Enigma, the..." she trailed off, sucking in a large amount of air.

"Rainbow Haired Warrior." Jeff finished for her.

"Yeah! That! By the way, what color will your hair be tonight?"

"I was thinkin' Red or Blue. Or both. Thanks for the ride, Aeryn."

"Anytime." Aeryn leaned back into the driver's seat, giving Jeff one last wave before continuing to watch him walk away until she couldn't see him anymore. There had still been this smile on her face as she watched him walk away.

"Nice..." she nodded.

* * *

Later that evening, Aeryn had retired to her hotel room with the intention of taking a hot bath and getting in some sleep but that plan had been derailed the second Gwen called.

"I saw the pictures! Fucking great! I hope you're out partying!" the girl teased.

"I am not partying, I'm actually gonna watch some TV." Aeryn remarked.

"No, we're gonna go out partying the second you pick me up from the bus station!" Gwen shot back. Aeryn didn't have to see the girl to know she was grinning like the Cheshire cat and possibly bouncing up and down at the station, attracting the stares of people.

"Gwen, you didn't! What about my cat and my dog!" Aeryn replied, shooting up out of her bed.

"Oh relaaaaax, 'Kani and Fiolina are totally being baby sat by your mom. Now get your ass in your car and come get me so we can party at a club in honor of the fantastic turnout!" Gwen beamed before hanging up.

"Shiiiit!" Aeryn cursed, scrambling to find something quick. She threw on a skirt, hastily buttoned up her blouse and slipped into her heels, grabbed her bag and headed to the door. She opted to take the stairs, coming out of the stairwell fixing up her hair the best she could and ushering past the front desk.

"Aeryn!"

The woman whirled around to see Jeff standing there, confused expression on his face. "Oh! Hi! I can't talk right now I'm going to get my friend because she's at the station and she wants to party and I'm going to kill her..."

"Wait up, I'll go with you."

"Are you sure? You look beat..." Aeryn reasoned, concern flashing across her face.

"C'mon, somebody's gotta make sure a pretty girl like you doesn't end up in jail for murder." Jeff shrugged, smiling at her.

Aeryn's cheeks turned pink as she nodded slowly, going out toward her car.

This still did not excuse the fact that she was going to kill her friend later.

* * *

Nero: Oh man! Took forever right? But here's the third chapter! The fourth chapter will possibly be better because Gwen is here to key Aeryn in on the obvious! Jeff hasn't said yes yet, but he will...when Aeryn remembers to ask him. Stay tuned for appearances by The Miz, Randy Orton, and John Morrison, the Shaman of Sexy!!


	4. Party Hardy

**Author's Note:** Gwen makes another appearance in this chapter, and more superstars appear too! You could say Gwen's popping up here is an inkling at one of my upcoming projects, but don't worry about that one until this one is finished. I finally have another idea of where I want this to go.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own World Wrestling Entertainment, it belongs to Vince McMahon and you know...the wrestlers are indeed copyrighted to themselves...I think! I own Aeryn, her friends, her team for the SI work, and family unless stated otherwise! Suing me won't get you anything, dudes!

**Hide and Seek**

**Chapter Four – Party Hard(y)**

Gwen was relatively easy to spot at the bus station, she was the girl who was leaning up against one of the phone poles with a bag at her feet, and the only one without a jacket of some sort. Aeryn pushed through the throng of people who carried their suitcases and struggled to hold onto their children who seemed to be desperate to get away from the gum-covered floors and dirty promotional posters for a movie that had long since been out.

"You made it!" Gwen began, a grin coming onto her face. It died instantly when she caught a glimpse of her friend's face. Aeryn had a frown on her face, and those eyes of hers were narrowed. Her hands flew to her hips and she sighed deeply.

"Are you crazy?! You can't just...up and leave New York to find me!" she blurted.

"Oh come on 'Ryn, it's nothing new. Remember when you went away to College in Florida? I took a 22 hour train ride to you because you wouldn't fly up for Christmas break?" Gwen reasoned, throwing an arm around the girl and pulling her close. "I do these things because I love you, and I want you to go far!"

Aeryn growled and pulled Gwen through the people, excusing herself quietly until they were outside and her car was in the distance. "Whatever Gwen...you're going home tomorrow."

"No way! I'm gonna spend a couple days with you, see how you work your magic...and maybe see a couple superstars. I've always wanted to meet The Game." Gwen said, chuckling. "Oh! And Jeff Hardy. Speaking of Jeff, did you ask him about your little job thing at Superstar Ink? I know he said yes! He said yes, right?"

Aeryn groaned, shaking her head. "He said he'd think about it. And no way! My mom has a tough enough time with her dog! You're going home to take care of my babies!"

"And you wonder why those bitches in high school said you'd be a virgin forever..." Gwen trailed off, stopping short when she noticed Jeff leaning against the car, arms over his chest.

"Oh shit that's Jeff Hardy!" she squealed, moving in front of Aeryn. "He had to have said yes to you!"

"Gwen, stop acting like a teenybopper at an NSYNC concert!" Aeryn replied, glaring at her friend. "He said he'd think about it, and he offered to ride with me so I won't kill you!"

"Smart guy." Gwen blinked, turning around to look. "So c'mon, let's go back to your hotel so I can borrow some of your clothes and we can go hit the clubs in celebration of Superstar Ink being made of awesome!"

"Gwen, you can't even fit my clothes." Aeryn replied, stopping at her car. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Jeff."

"Don't worry about it, Aeryn." Jeff replied, giving a shrug.

"Hiiii, I'm Gwen, Aeryn's best friend in the entire world. It's so nice to meet you!" Gwen beamed, extending her hand toward Jeff, who shook it.

"Get in the back." Aeryn replied, looking at her friend.

"You can't kill me when there's a witness to the crime!" Gwen pointed out, getting into the car while snickering.

"Oh not to worry. I'll kill you after I drop Jeff off." Aeryn shrugged.

"No way! Jeff won't let you kill me!" Gwen reasoned, sitting forward as Aeryn pulled off.

* * *

The ride back to the hotel hadn't been quiet in the least, with Gwen being the resident chatterbox, talking about everything from her dire need to get Aeryn out of her shell, to her own bad relationships with other men. From what Jeff could see after stealing glances at Aeryn, he could see that she was mortified, her face on fire. It had been cute seeing her like that, and he tried hard to keep a straight face, but failed.

"I am _so_ sorry you had to listen to all that. She doesn't know when to shut up..." Aeryn mumbled, standing in the hotel lobby.

"It was nothin'. I listen to Matt ramble all the time." Jeff smiled.

"Right...so get some sleep and just think about my offer. I'd love to have you." Aeryn replied. "I'm gonna go rescue Gwen from the hotel bar so she doesn't party early without me."

"Good night and good luck."

"Thanks. I'm gonna need it."

Both parted ways, Jeff watching Aeryn run further into center area, past the fountain and toward the makeshift bar to retrieve her friend, who seemed to be browsing a menu already.

That woman...

* * *

"So what do you want to drink?" Gwen asked, browsing the menu while Aeryn sat down on the barstool, sighing.

"Drinks here are more expensive than the ones out in a club, let's go upstairs please. My hair isn't perfect and my feet are killing me because I beelined it out of my hotel and to my car to get to you. You are so lucky I didn't let you spend the night in that dirty place." the woman muttered, running her fingers through her brown hair.

"Sweetheart, lighten up. See? This is why you need to get laid. When you get laid, you won't care if I follow you in a van!" Gwen reasoned, giving Aeryn a look.

"I'm not you, I'd prefer a relationship with one person, not just a hook up or several." Aeryn replied, shrugging.

"That's why it takes forever for you to start a relationship. Although...I totally think that this time around may be easier though." Gwen replied, grinning once more.

"What?" Aeryn questioned, taking the menu from Gwen's hands.

"Nothing, nothing..." Gwen started, letting the silence overtake the both of them until two shot glasses came their way. Picking one up containing a clear version of tequila, Gwen gave her best friend a sly smile. "'Cept that I think Jeff's taken a shine to you."

"What?!"

Aeryn's response was Gwen downing the shot and twisting her face up so she wouldn't have to defend that last statement she made.

"Heeeyy....drink your shot before I do girl!"

"Gwen, you can't just gloss over what you said! The hell are you talking about?!" Aeryn asked.

"Don't pretend to be so surprised I said it. You're a smart girl. You know when someone likes you. This isn't grade school or high school anymore, you can't play the oblivious card." Gwen replied, "I think he likes you, and I know you like him."

"....Whatever." Aeryn mumbled, grabbing the shot glass and putting it to her lips, tilting it a little.

"No, it's no whatever," Gwen huffed, "By the way you _never_ sip tequila...anyway, it's not a whatever! You've so gotta take a shot in the dark and forget that rejection impulse of yours!"

Aeryn frowned again, looking at the shot and closed her eyes before bringing it to her lips and taking it down in one swift motion. She felt it burn her throat and her mouth opened, making her let out a strangled noise as the glass slammed down against the counter.

Gwen giggled, pulling her friend toward the elevator and pressing the button. Aeryn continued muttering under her breath, pressing her floor. When they reached her room she opened the door and watched as Gwen threw herself on the messy bed and stretched out like a cat.

"Gwen..." the brown haired woman began, frowning.

"Party time! So I was thinking you'd wear that black sleeveless top and keep that skirt on and wear those heels you got from last month!" Gwen replied, sitting up and going toward Aeryn's bag and shuffling through it. "You packed something for parties right?"

"Just the skirt—wait, no! I didn't!" Aeryn huffed, not wanting to go along with this. She really should have known that protesting was futile and Gwen always got her way. Speaking of Gwen, the mahogany haired girl had pulled out a makeup bag from her own set of belongings, followed by a pair of her best heeled boots and an intense blue colored tank top.

"Oh come on 'Ryn. I'm sure you've got friends to party with too. What about your team who works with you! We should all celebrate together!" she smiled, pulling out of her dress and letting it hit the floor.

Aeryn was about to speak when a knock at the door was heard. "Put some clothes on!" she commanded Gwen who reached for one of the disheveled blankets. When she opened the door, she was greeted by Adam's seemingly happy face.

"Oh! So you're not in your pajamas..." Adam trailed off when he noticed the other woman in the room holding on to the blanket for dear life as they made eye contact. "Mm. Like to play for both teams, do you?"

"Wha?! **No**! Adam this is my friend Gwen she stopped by...unannounced!" Aeryn retorted, glaring at the taller man, who couldn't stop grinning at her and her red face.

"Hi!" Gwen squeaked, waving. "I'm gonna go..."

"Adam is she coming or not?!" An agitated voice asked before turning the man around.

"Cool it Randy, I haven't even asked her yet. She's got company, bro."

"Randy?!" Gwen squealed this time, her eyes widening. "Oh my God! Randy Orton!"

"I don't think we've met..." Randy trailed off, agitation fading and one of those classic trademark smirks of his appearing. He proceeded to step past Adam only to have Aeryn's palm slap him right on the chest.

"Uh uh. Off. Limits." the woman huffed.

Gwen took that opportunity to run off to the bathroom as Randy grabbed Aeryn's wrist and moved it away from his chest.

"We wanted to know if you were up for a little partying. Gotta hit at least one club here before we hit the road." he asked.

"We are!" Gwen yelled from the open bathroom before Aeryn could decline the offer.

"Good! We'll be waiting downstairs." Adam grinned again, patting Aeryn on the shoulder before leaving with Randy.

"See you in teeeen!" Gwen called after them as Aeryn shut the door.

"I am going to kick. Your. Ass." the woman growled as Gwen came out of the bathroom and applied the makeup.

"Kick it after we party!"

* * *

The club's music pounded in Aeryn's ears the second they got past the bouncer and headed toward the VIP section after Randy used his 'fantastic' negotiating skills. Gwen was already feeling the music...and the tequila shot she had back at the hotel bar. She was itching to dance, but her grip on Aeryn's wrist remained tight.

Aeryn already knew that conversation would be impossible with as loud as the music was; she could even hear the ringing of her phone when she sat down at the table to look at the missed messages she got. That didn't even last long because Gwen confiscated her phone and put it into her own purse and signaled the bartender over.

"Let your inner wild child out 'Ryn! Just like old times! Show those High School girls who's badder!" Gwen yelled over the music, slamming down a shot glass in front of the other woman.

"See! I damn the fact we weren't friends sooner! I have blackmail material now!" Adam teased, poking Aeryn in the ribs.

Aeryn eyed the shot glass again and gave her friend a questioning look.

"It's Bacardi 151! Drink it!" Gwen replied.

"Fuck outta here, do you know how strong that is?! We'll be shitfaced in a couple minutes!" Aeryn protested.

"Do it Celia! Show me what you got!" Randy added on, "Your girl here seems to have no problem!"

"No one asked you, Orton!" Aeryn growled before inhaling the shot and almost dropping the shot glass onto the floor. The alcohol burned her throat double time; at least the first couple times they tried this, it was not straight and cut with something else.

"Oh my...Fuck!" Aeryn swore, her eyes squeezing shut.

"That's what I'm talking about baby!" Gwen cheered. "Party Hard!"

The evening continued on, the party getting visits from the likes of Dave Batista, one John Hennigan, or better known as John Morrison and his wingman Mike "The Miz" Mizanin. Gwen was all too willing to spike up the bill, her and Randy ordering more drinks. Aeryn had been reduced to drunken laughter, watching her best friend literally get sandwiched in between Randy and Morrison on the dance floor, watching their hips grind into one another's.

By the time 3 am rolled around, Gwen was almost stumbling out of the club on Morrison's arm with a cocky Miz in tow.

"Gwen's about to be welcomed into the Palace of Wisdom." Morrison said while smirking, looking at his friend.

"Waaiiit, thas my friiieend Morrie!!" Aeryn called out drunkenly as she made her way out of the club, her surroundings wobbly as hell. She almost fell over when Adam smacked into her by accident because he tried to keep a correct hold on her. "Whoa! Watch...the hell where you goin'!" she spat, poking Adam in the chest with a manicured nail.

"Yeah, it's time to get you back sunshine." Adam remarked, shaking his head and picking her up. He hoisted her over his shoulder and flagged down a cab.

* * *

When they arrived at the hotel, Aeryn tried her best to get down so she could walk on her own once they were on the elevator. Randy couldn't stop smirking and Adam tried so hard to keep a straight face; it wasn't everyday someone as quiet and dedicated as his friend Aeryn got piss drunk and couldn't walk or talk straight. Yes, he was so going to have blackmail come morning.

"Babe, you'll only make a fool out of yourself." Randy remarked.

"Shut uuuup...Orton...I won't fool myself!" Aeryn huffed drunkenly from Adam's shoulder. When they stopped at the room door, Adam put Aeryn down and asked if she had the keys. Instead, the girl knocked three times, laughing.

"Yoohooo am I hoome?!"

"Shhh! 'Ryn you're too loud!" Adam protested, laughing.

"Oh God, this is classic." Randy said amusedly.

"You know if you weren't so cocky...and a total dick I'd so makeout with you!" Aeryn shot back, pointing at him.

When the door opened, Adam and Randy looked over and paused.

"Oh shit. Wrong room. Sorry Jeff." Adam began.

It was clear Jeff had been sleeping, and now he was trying to make himself aware of the people outside his door. "Is that Aeryn?" he asked, now half aware that there was a drunken woman outside his hotel room. Not just any drunken woman, but the drunken woman he thought was utterly adorable...when she was sober and blushing, by the way.

"Heeey Jeff!" Aeryn beamed.

"She drank a little too much tonight, and she knocked on the wrong room door." Adam explained, hands on Aeryn's shoulders. "I don't think she has her room key, so she's just gonna crash with us."

"She's not throwing up in my bed, man." Randy replied.

"I'll take her." Jeff said suddenly, like he didn't like the idea of her in a room with two men who were clearly sober. One of those men being Randy Orton. For a married man, he sure loved the ladies.

"Are you sure?" Adam questioned.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. She'll be fine, I got her." Jeff replied, reaching for the giggling girl, who had been trying to keep a relatively straight face this entire time. "Say goodnight Aeryn."

"Bye bye Addy! Bye bye Randy!" Aeryn waved before she voluntarily closed the door before they could respond. "Bitches." she finished, pouting.

"....Drank a little too much, hm? Did you empty the entire bar, girl?" Jeff asked, despite knowing that trying to hold a conversation with a drunken person was like dousing a fire with kerosene; it just didn't work, it only made things worse.

"Psh! No way! I just went to a party, Hardy!" Aeryn replied dismissively before stopping short. A big grin spread out across her face and Jeff shook his head.

"Party Hardy!" Aeryn cheered again, jumping up and down before stopping.

"This won't end well." Jeff said to himself.

Aeryn lurched forward and she upchucked right onto Jeff not once, but _twice_.

"Nice.." Jeff sighed, shaking his head. "C'mon Aeryn... let's get cleaned up."

"Nooo....my stomach hurts and...I wanna lie down..." Aeryn whimpered, voice hoarse.

"I promise you'll lie down sweetheart...just after we both get cleaned up."

* * *

When morning rolled around, Aeryn shot out of bed and beelined it for the bathroom again, ignoring her pounding headache and paying much attention to her watery mouth and extreme nausea. She puked into the toilet again harshly, aggravating her throat once more and bringing tears to her eyes.

As she remained hunched over the toilet, she tried to remember last night, as much of it as she could before another wave of nausea hit her. All she came up with was being at the club with Adam, Randy, and Gwen and being in the back of the cab with Adam and Randy. So, she had to use the good, newly sober half of her brain to think.

'_Okay...so I went back with Adam and Randy, the people I left with thank God. Gwen wasn't there.._' she thought, frowning. '_God, my throat is killing me and my head is pounding...I can't believe I let myself go like that...I'm not a teenager anymore.._'

She gripped the porcelain seat as best she could, fingers sliding along the surface as she threw up again.

"I...I have no tolerance for tequila and rum shots..." she groaned. "I can't believe this...I'm gonna kill Gwen.."

"Funny. You said that last night, and her heart's still beatin'."

"Jeff, not right now I'm too sick to think of a good comeback for that..." Aeryn groaned again before realization hit her.

Jeff...

This was not her room. This was Jeff's room.

"Considering how fast you threw up on me last night, yeah, you're sick Aeryn." Jeff remarked, entering the bathroom and kneeling next to her.

"I threw up on you?!" she asked suddenly.

"Twice, darlin."

"I am **so** sorry! I don't even remember, but I'm sure I made a complete ass out of myself and I'm gonna make it up to you I swear! I'll pay your hotel bill and whatever else I destroyed..." Aeryn cried, only to stop because she made herself nauseous again.

"Relax...keep it down." Jeff instructed.

Aeryn raised her hand, trying to will herself to keep from throwing up. When the nausea subsided, she pushed herself up slowly and leaned against the sink, whining. She still couldn't believe this was happening. She should have been looking at the positive, like the fact that she spent the night in Jeff Hardy's room. But where was the joy in that if she was smashed and threw up on him? This was by far the most mortifying experience in her entire life, not counting the first two years of high school.

"Good enough to move, darlin'?" Jeff asked, looking at her. Ah, now here was a completely new side to the woman he met before, the absolutely vulnerable side. She didn't have to say anything for him to know she was kicking herself over this entire thing. Yes, getting thrown up on was never fun, but at least he could keep an eye on her.

"I think...I'm gonna go back to my room and change...I've already done enough to you.." Aeryn sighed, standing up from her leaning position. "I hope you get to the next place safely and just..well, I'd love to you have you for..." she instantly lost the remains of her voice because Jeff had put his hands on her cheeks and stared into her eyes.

Something welled up in her stomach and it wasn't nausea. Her cheeks turned red again and she averted eye contact.

"Don't. Granted I've daydreamed about this particular moment at least once, but _please_ don't. I'm in _no_ position to be kissed."

Before she let him respond, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door and to her room. She fumbled around in her purse until she found her key card and before she turned at the sound of Jeff's voice, she entered her room and shut the door.

She wanted to throw herself on the bed but stopped short.

"Gwen!" she yelled hoarsely, throwing her purse at the lump in her bed.

"What the hell!" an obviously male voice protested, sitting up.

"John?!" Aeryn blurted, and then noticed Gwen sit up.

"Geez 'Ryn stop yelling..." she mumbled sleepily before opening her eyes all the way. "Aeryn?!"

"You did **NOT** enter the Palace of Wisdom in my hotel room!" Aeryn tried yelling but it came out scratchy.

"Uhmm...." Gwen trailed off.

"Hey, she had the room key, I just went along for the _very_ sexy ride." Morrison insisted, raising his hands.

"I don't care how sexy your abs are or how sexy the 'ride' was, you need to get out **now**." Aeryn growled, pointing to the door. Gwen got up from the bed and ushered the taller man out, who had no time to grab his clothes. It would make for an interesting trip down to the second floor that was for certain. Once Gwen shut the door Aeryn collapsed on the floor in a heap.

"'Ryn...I'm so sorry!" Gwen started, kneeling to her, only to have her hands slapped away.

"**No**! My head is killing me, my throat is _raw_ from throwing up and I have to pack and I have to go meet with my team for Superstar Ink! You haven't been _any_ help, Gwen! You made me 'party hard' and drink until I got so smashed I couldn't even make it to my room! Because of you, I threw up on Jeff Hardy twice! **TWICE**!" Aeryn berated her friend.

Gwen frowned, pulling her friend into a hug without a response.

"Maybe, just maybe if I was a little more sober and had breath that smelled like mint and not tequila and vomit he would've kissed me!" Aeryn complained into her friend's shoulder.

"Wait he tried to kiss you?"

"I dunno, that's what I thought...but there was no way I was gonna let that happen with the way I am now! And it's totally your fault!"

"I know it is and I was an idiot for reminding you about high school and telling you to drink all that stuff..." Gwen said quietly.

"You're like this huge...trigger, Gwen!"

"I know I know...but you love me!...Right?"

"....I do, but I am **so** mad at you right now!"

"C'mon lets just get cleaned up and eat something okay? You can insult me until the hangover's gone, no strings attached." Gwen reasoned, helping Aeryn stand.

* * *

"Party Hardy?" Jeff's elder brother Matt's voice said into the phone before there was laughter heard. "That's cute man. Was she really _that _drunk?"

"Oh yeah, she was that drunk Matt. I was thrown up on twice bro I swear." Jeff replied, "And just now, she read her friend the riot act after kickin' out Morrison. These walls aren't that thick."

"She threw up on you while her best friend screwed with Morrison?! **Wow**." Matt replied. "And you think you like this girl."

"...Yeah. I mean when she isn't completely smashed. Even if it's for a little while it's nice bein around her."

"You dunno that much about her, Jeff. But hey I can't stop you." Matt replied. From what Jeff could hear, his brother had been zipping up his own suitcase.

"Isn't that why people get together?" Jeff asked. "To know that much more about each other?"

"Yeah...and because they have something in common. You guys have anything in common?" Matt asked.

"Yeah." Jeff said thoughtfully, smiling. "Look man, get movin. I gotta catch the WWE bus to Colorado."

"Alright. Love ya baby bro."

"Love you too, Matt."

Once Jeff hung up the phone he grabbed the hotel phone and paged the housekeeper. Some things needed to be cleaned up once he was gone.

* * *

Once Aeryn was packed and slightly dealt with her pounding headache she and Gwen headed out of the room and boarded the elevator. The photographer made a note to call Adam tomorrow so she could apologize to him too. As they exited the elevator, Aeryn made her way to the front desk and pulled out her wallet.

"Hi, I'd like to pay for any damages and charges to my room and as well as the room to the right of me, the room belonging to Jeff Hardy."

The clerk looked at the woman, a surprised expression on her face as she went through the computer and printed out the bill. Aeryn paid with her credit card before reaching for a blank piece of paper and writing something on it.

"When Mister Hardy comes to check out, could you give this to him?" she finished, earning a nod.

"I certainly will, I hope you've enjoyed your stay Miss Celia, please come again." the clerk spoke cheerfully. Aeryn gave another slow nod and headed toward the parking lot with Gwen in tow. There hadn't been much conversation between the two women, Aeryn trying to keep her headache and stomach under control and Gwen trying to think of ways to make it up to the other woman. Gwen had done some stupid things that ticked Aeryn off, but never to this degree.

"Because Rob's pissed at me being already being an hour late, we don't have time to stop for breakfast. We'll eat bagels at the headquarters and then eat something before we go home." Aeryn sighed.

"You're not traveling?" Gwen asked, buckling herself in.

"Rob's the other head of Superstar Ink. So if I'm lucky he won't kick me off the team after complaining to Vince or another higher up." Aeryn replied, starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

"Aeryn it's not like you're a repeat offender! That jackass can't do that!" Gwen protested.

"Give Rob some power and it goes to his head. This I learned from Greg who's worked with him before. Now I see why Greg walks on eggshells around him." Aeryn mumbled, pulling up to the building.

"Let's go pray I'm still head of the team." she finished, getting out of the car with Gwen and walking toward the elevator.

* * *

When Jeff headed to hotel check out he was behind Miz and Morrison. Miz couldn't stop laughing at his friend, who looked visibly pissed.

"She kicked you out naked, man. I can't believe it!"

"Shut up!" Morrison hissed.

"Did you at least get her number?" Miz asked.

"No. I had zero time."

"Well it is just hit and split. It's no huge loss."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were the one who slept with her."

"Was it that good?"

"Like a fucking wet dream of extreme proportions."

"Lucky bastard. You know I tried to get with her friend at least once or twice last night. I mean she had these hips that were to die for--"

The second the words left Miz's mouth, he became acquainted with Jeff's fist.

"What the fuck is your deal, Hardy?!" Morrison blurted as Miz held his jaw, which was already starting to bruise.

As Miz hit the floor, Jeff stepped over him, stopping at the front desk. "Good Morning, I'm Jeff Hardy and I'd like to check out."

Obviously shell-shocked, the clerk nodded, punching up the room while Jeff handed over the keys.

"Any damages you had were paid for earlier, and this was left at the front desk for you, Mister Hardy."

Jeff took the envelope in his good hand, turning to look at Miz and Morrison. "One, he deserved it. Two, he doesn't deserve her."

* * *

Nero: dun dun dun dun! I know it's a sucky way to end chapter four but I ended it! Stay tuned for Chapter Five where Jeff goes to Denver and Aeryn gets into it with Rob! Jeff reads Aeryn's letter, and she and Gwen travel to the next ECW location to shoot everybody's favorite Straightedge superstar! Reviews! I loves them!


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